Method and mechanism for making collapsible tubes



Jan. 5, 1932. w. PRUSSING 1,839,438

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR MAKING COLLAPSI BLE TUBES Filed July 25, 1928 5Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Mlfer Prussm 7ATTORNEY Jan. 5, W. S G 1,83%,438

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR MAKING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed July 25, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 2 XNVENTOR WafierPrussing Jan; 5, 1932.

w. PRUSSING 1,839,438

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR MAKING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed July 25, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 3 WIIIIHII Illllllllll IIHHHII IVENTQR Waffer firussmg E at7 7ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED. STATES PATENT I OFFICE WALTERPRUSSING, OFBROOKLYN, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO VICTOR METAL PRODUCTSCORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METHOD ANDMECHANISM FOR GOLLAPSIIBLE TUBES Application filed July 25,

This invention relates to machines for operating upon thin and easilydeformable col lapsible tubes for transferring said tubes automaticallyfrom one point or support therefor to another, and from one mechanism toanother, and relates further to the method of enamelling, drying andprinting said tubes. My invention is applicable to all types ofcollapsible tubes whether made with ribbon or round opemngs, or whethersaid tubes have had caps mounted thereon or not.

My invention contemplates the provision of means for automaticallymoving the tubes about for enamelling, drying and printing,

whereby handling and manual transfer thereof are eliminated, so that thetubes are not subjected to danger of deformation and the labor'and risksof handling are greatly reduced. My invention further contemplates 2Dthe provision of an improved method for handling tubes during theenamelling, printing and drying operations, whereby the cost of thevarious operations is reduced, the danger mentioned is avoided, and thefloor space formerly needed for stacking and transferring the tubes'isrendered unnecessary.

The various objects of my invention will appearfrom the descriptionwhich follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved machine as it appears in positionfor transferring tubes from an enamelling machine to a drying conveyor.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of'the same, show- 85 ing another position ofthe parts.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my improved machine.

Fig. 4 is a side view and partial section thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the tube withdrawing and transfermechanism, showing one form of the tube engaging means. t

Fig. 6 is an enlarged. front view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same,

.taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a front view of another form of the tube engaging'memberdesigned to grip I 6% the threaded neck of a. tube.

1928. Serial No. 295,332.

1 Fig. 9 is a similar view of the same, showing the jaws separated bythe tube discharging plunger.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the threaded tube engaging jaws.

Fig. 11 is a front view of a modified form of tube engaging meansdesigned to grip a capped tube.

It will be understood that my improved mechanism may be used inconnection with various machines for operating upon tubes, but that inthe form illustrated, said mechanism is designed forthe purpose ofremoving a tube from a chute on to which the tubes are fed in anysuitable manner, transferring the tube to the holding means of anenamelling machine, then to a suitable conveyor. While on the conveyor,various 0 rations may be performed on the tube suc as drying, printing,etc.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated inconnection with enamelling mechanism, the enamelling mechanism has beendesignated generally by numeral 10, and the tube conveyor designatedgenerally by numeral 11.

'Referring now to Figs. land 4, I have there shown the mechanism formountin the tubes automatically on'the mandrel 13 0 the enameller 10.Said mechanism includes a chute or runway 14 to which the tubes are fedso that the necks thereof face away from the mandrel 13. An adjustablestop in the form of an angle member 15 is provided with slots 16 in oneflange thereof so that said stop may be adjusted with relation to thechute. For this urpose, the headed bolts 17 pass through the s ots 16into the chute, and on the tightening thereof, maintain the stop in adusted position. The adjustment of the stop is advisable in order toaccommodate the mechanism to feed tubes varying in diameter, and toenable the lowermost tube on the chute to be aligned coaxially with themandrel 13 on which it is to be mounted. Toward this end, 95 it is alsoadvisable to adjust the chute itself. Said chute is therefore hinged orpivoted as at 18 to the chute support 19, an adjusting screw 20 servingto raise or lower the lower. end of the chute as may be desired Areciprocating rod 21 is journalled in the bearing 22 depending from thechute, said rod being operated through the medium of the link 23, whichis operated by a cam, crank or any other well known means which neednotbe shown or described in detail. For en gaging the neck end of the tubeto push said tube on to the mandrel when the rod 21 is reciprocated, Iprovide a rod or bar 24, mounted above the operating rod 21 andconnected thereto as by means of the connection 25.

On the reciprocation of the rod 21, the rod or bar 24 removes thelowermost tube on the chute by pushing said tube toward the mandrel 13,the open end of the tube allowing said tube to be pushed into place onthe mandrel. Said rod 24 meanwhile prevents the remaining tubes on thechute from rolling down against the stop 15 until said rod has beenwithdrawn by the return stroke of the rod 21. The collapsible tube 12having been mounted automatically by the means just described, upon therevoluble mandrel 13 of the enameller 10, the enamelling operation isperformed thereon. Said mandrel is journalled in the'face plate 26 forrotation therein, so that the printing roller 27 may print the tubemounted on the mandrel during the rotation thereof when the mandrel isbrought by intermittent movement of the face plate into printingposition, as is well understood. The face plate 26 is rotated by anysuitable means to brin the various mandrels and the tubes thereon intoposition wherein the tube, after being printed, may be removed from themandrel, andmounted on a suitable transferring holder as illustrated inFig. 3.

In said position, which} I will refer to hereinafter as the mountingposition,- my improved mechanism engages the tube, and withdraws it fromthe mandrel. The mechanism is then operated to forward the tube into thedismounting position illustrated in Fig. 1, and finally pushes the tubeoil the engaging means therefor on to a suitable holding pin as 28 onthe conveyor chain 29.

The means for engaging the tube and withdrawing it from the mandrelvaries somewhat, dependent upon the type of tube which is operated upon.Where tubes having externally threaded necks and circular openings inthe necks are used, a serrated member entering the neck opening may beused. Where ,ribbon openings are formed in the necks of the tubes, apair of movable jaws is used to engage the threaded neck, while if thetubes are capped,-a similar pair of jaws is used. Each of said tubeengaging means will now be described in detail.

vThe means for engaging andholding an uncapped threaded tube having acircular opening in the neck during the transfer thereof, consistspreferably of a conical tube en. aging member 30, terminating in aconical po1nt 31 and serrated by means of the longitube firmly on saidmember without mate-' rially defacing the neck. The tapered conicalpoint 31 insures the entrance of the member 30 into the neck in properalignment therewith, so that the tube is not damaged even though thealignment is not perfect. The tube may readily be removed from themember 30 by pushing the neck of the tube toward the end of the member.Said member 30 is mounted on the supporting block 35, adapted to bereciprocated for transferring the tube from mounting position todismounting position, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In that form of tube wherein a ribbon or rectangular openin is'made inthe neck 34 for the discharge 0 the contents, I prefer to provide a pairof gripping aws 36 for engaging the threaded neck of the tube. Said jawsare each pivoted to the block 35 as at 37 and are spring-pulled towardeach other as by means of the tensioned spring 38 secured to said jaws.Near the free ends thereof, the jaws 36 are threaded as 39 to correspondwith the threads of the neck of the tube. A rod 40 is arranged betweenthe jaws 36 and is of such diameter that when retracted to the positionshown in Fig. 8, the jaws are allowed to close on to the neck of thetube, the rod at this time lying in the enlarged opening 41 between thejaws. Connecting the side 42 of said opening with the threads 39 of eachjaw, is a bevelled cam surface 43. I

As the rod 40 is moved from its retracted position toward the threads,the end of the rod engages the cam surface 43 and forces said jaws apartto allow the discharge of the tube by the rod. As the jaws and rod inthis discharging osition reach the mounting position, the nec of thetube pushes the rod 40 back into its retracted position and at the sametime enters the space between the jaws. When the rod has passed the camsurface 43, the jaws are brought together by the sprin 38 ]22nd therebyclamped upon the threaded nec If capped tubes are to be operated upon,(Fig. 11) similar jaws 44, similar to the jaws 36 are provided, but thesides 45 diifer'from the sides 42 in that the cam surface 43 is made atthe inner ends of the sides 45, and said sides 45 are spaced apart, inthe retracted position of the rod 40, a distance sufiicient to receivethe enlarged head 46 of the cap, while her 30 or a single pair of tujaws may be properly spread to allow the entrance therebetween andremoval therefrom of the cap head.

It will be understood that the tube engaging member 30, or the tubeengaging jaws 36 or 44 may be duplicated on each side of the block 35,such duplication of the member 30 being clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,5 and 6, wherein a pair of diametrically opposed members 30 are arrangedon said block for the purpose of enabling the transfer mechanism tooperate comparatively slowly. A single meme engaging jaws may be usedinstead, if desired, the only difference being that to attain the sameproduction, the mechanism would be speeded up. In the description oftransfer mechanism which follows, it is assumed that two sets of suchtube engaging devices are provided on the block 35, though Figs. 8 to 11inclusive illustrate the use'o'f a single pair of jaws in stead ofduplicate pairs.

The mounting of the tube engaging devices on the support 49 therefor,and the means for reciprocating the support will now be described.

The member 30 may be permanently secured to, and extends from thesupport 49, which is in turn sufiiciently loosely mounted on the shaft50 for rotation thereabout and at times movable bodily therewith in amanner soon to be described. "As above pointed out, a similar member 30may project from each side of the support 49, (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6),or a single pair or duplicate pair of jaws 36 or 44 may be pivotedthereto. The shaft 50 alsocarries the gear wheel 51, which is looselymounted thereon, said shaft having a reduced extremity 52, to which issecured one end of the slidable bar 53 as by means of the nut 54. Thegrooved guide 55 slidably supports the bar 53 for proper horizontalmovement, said bar being pivotally connected at its other end to thelink 56, as by means of the screw 57. Reciprocation of the operating bar53 is effected by any suitable means, such as the link 58 connected atone end to any suitable source of power, not shown, and at its otherend, to the link 56.

In order to prevent relative movement of the gear 51 and the support 49and consequent displacement of the parts longitudinally of the shaft,while at times allowing relative rotation of said parts, the gear 51 issuitably recessed as at 59 to receive the collar 60 of the shaft 50,suitable washers as 61 being secured in the recess 62 of the'support asby means of the screw 63 threaded into the front end of said shaft. Saidwashers engage the support 49 with sufficient friction normally toprevent rotation of said support on the shaft unless the support ispositively rotated by a suitable connection to the gear 51.

Since both the gear 51 and the support 49 are rotatable on the shaft 50,means are provided for operatively connecting said gear and said supportduring the stroke of the bar 53 from dismounting to mounting position.Said means consists preferably of a ratchet and pawl connection shown ina simplified form and as illustrated, comprises the pawl or pin 63mounted in the hole 64 of the gear 51 and urged by the spring 65 intoits extreme forward position. On the stroke of the bar 53 just referredto, said pin enters the tooth or notch 66 of the support 49, said notchbeing in the nature of a tooth having a straight side 67 and an inclinedside 68, whereby the rotation of the gear wheel in one direction istransmitted to the support, while its rotation in the other directioncauses no rotation of the support.

For rotating the gear 51 at predetermined intervals, a stationaryrack-69 meshing with said gear is supported in proper position by anysuitable means such as the standards 70. Said standards serve also tosupport the horizontal main guide 71, which in turn supports the groovedguide 55 for the gear operating bar 53, whereby the weight of thetransfer mechanism is carried by said main guide.

' The grooved guide 55 is secured to the main guide 71 as by suitablefastening means 72 and guides the bar 53 in its reciprocating movement.The rack 69 is made of considerably less length than that suflicient toreach be described, that for the conicalengaging member 30 beingreferred to first.

Pivotally mounted on the front face of the support 49 is a lever 7 3,secured to the support .for oscillation thereon, as by'means of thescrew 74, the inner end of said lever being slotted as at 75 for thereception of a pin 76.

Said pin projects forwardly of the slide 77, which is mounted forreciprocation in the recess62 of the support 49, being maintained inplace by the plates 78, secured to the front face of the support andforming therewith a guiding means in which the slide 77 may bereciprocated. At the outer end thereof, said slide terminates in. arearwardly arranged ex- -tension or projection 79, apertured as at 80for the assage of the tube engaging member 30. t will be understood thaton the oscillation of the lever 73, the slide 77 is moved longitudinallyof the tube engaging member 30 so that if a tube is mounted on saidmember, outward movement of the slide toward the end of member 30 causessaid slide to engage the end of the tube neck and to push the tube 01fsaid member. A spring 81 secured to the pin 82 of the lever 73 and tothe support urges said slide toward its retracted position.

The mechanism illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive for engaging theneck end of the tube externally is similarly mounted on the support 49,similar means being there used for discharging the tube. -In place,however, of the slide 77, the rod is sildably mounted in a suitablejournal 83 in the support 49, the pin 7 6 projecting from said rod intoengagement with the lever 73. The spring 81 becomes unnecessary in thisconstruction and hence is omitted, reliance being had upon the spring 38for maintaining the jaws in their proper positions. It will be seen thatmovement of the rod 40 outwardly toward the ends of the jaws by thelever 7 3, opens the jaws and allows the rod to discharge the tube. I

For insuring the proper alignment of the tube-engagin members in themounting position thereo a suitable pin as 84 projects rearwardly fromthe gear wheel 51 and is arranged to enter the slot 85 of an aligningstop 86, which is mounted on the grooved guide 55. In that form of myinvention wherein a double stroke of support 49 is required to transferthe tube, a duplicate aligning support is provided on the other side ofthe gear, if desired.

While the support 49 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 50, it is heldthereon with sulficient friction by means of the screw 57 and thewashers 61 so that. said support maintains any position on said shaft towhich it may be set, unless positively moved therefrom. It will beunderstood, therefore, that where duplicate tube engaging means are.

used, during one part of the stroke of the bar 53, the gear andsupportrdo not move together and that proper alignment of the gear 51 asby means of the aligning ,pin 84 and the aligning stop 86 may notnecessarily align the support 49 in the proper position to allow certainof the tube engaging means to engage the neck 34 of the tube, and thatthe support should. be independently aligned. For that reason, I providean additional aligning stop 87 secured to the guide as by means of thescrews 88 and provided with a slot as .89 for the reception of thealigning pin 90 projectingffrom the support 49.

For operating the lever 7 3 to cause it to remove the tube from thetube'engaging pins or member, I prefer to provide a lever engaging stop91 'having a projection 92 extending into the path of the outer end ofsaid lever. I also prefer to provide a second aligning stop 93 forengaging the pin 90 and holding said pin whereby rotation of the member49 during the dismounting operation of the lever 73 is prevented.

It will be understood that if only one of -the tube engaging devices beused instead of a duplicate pair, the ratchet and pawl connectionbetween the gear 51 and the support 49 may be omitted and the rack 69shortened at both ends, so that the tube is first drawn off the mandrelin mounting position, then rotated toward dismounting position, the tubeengaging means being rotated and reciprocated back empty to the mountingposition, ready to engage the next tube. The aligning means may also bedispensed with if desired. 1

The operation of the means for removing the tubes from the chute orrunway 14, mounting thetubes on the mandrel of the enamelling machine,enamelling the tube and transferring the enamelled tube to the conveyoris as follows:

The tubes having been fed to the chute 14 with the necks thereof turnedaway from the enameller 10, the lowermost tube on the chute is pushed bythe rod 24on the reciprocation of said rod on to the mandrel 13, theface plate being at this time stationary. Said face plate nowbeing'rotated, the mandrel 13 is brought into enamelling position andthe inking roller 15 rotates in contact with said tube and enamelsit,'after which the face plate again moves the tube to the mountingposition indicated in Fig. 3 Where the face plate is temporarily haltedfor the withdrawing operation. In this position, the link 58 has carriedthe bar 53 towards its position at the extreme right and the aligningstop 86 has engaged the pin- 84 of the gear 51 which is ofl the rack 69.The stop 87 has also engaged the pin whereby rotation of both the gear51 and the support 49 is prevented and the parts become properlyaligned, the spring pressed pin 63, by its engagement with the tooth 66,serving to operatively connect the gear and the support so that theseparts rotate 'as a unit in their movement into mounting .position, as,will be later again referred to.

The pin 84 having entered the slot 85 of the aligning stop 86, thesupport 49 is thereby aligned in such position that in the case wherethe tubes have circular neck openings, the conical point 31. of themember 30 registers with the neck opening 33 of the tube.

In such mounting position, the member 30v therefore has entered the neck34 and has been wedged into engagement with the neck. The parts are nowin position to be withdrawn to the left for removing the tube from itsmandrel. This is accomplished by the link 56 which is now moved towardthe left carrying with it the bar 53 and the parts connected theretoincluding the shaft 50, the gear 51 and support 49.

The pin 63 now slides over the inclined side 68 of the notch 66 so'thatrotation of the gear 51 causes no rotation of the support 49, the lattermember being mounted on the shaft 50 with suflicientfrietion to effectthis purpose. N0 rotation of the gear 51 occurs,

however, until said gear has been moved toward the left a sufficientdistance to enga e the teeth of the rack 69. Thelength of sald rack andthe diameter of the gear are so proportioned in this construction, thatthe gear rotates a half revolution during its reciprocatory stroke fromthe mounting to the dismounting position and rotates back the samesupport occurs on both strokes. Continuing the description for theduplicate tube engaging devices, that tube 12 which has been mounted onthat member 30 which was on the right of the support in the mountingposition, is carried longitudinally to the left without rotation on thewithdrawing stroke of the support 49 into the position indicated in Fig.1, in which the tube remains at the extreme right of the support.

The movement of the conveyor chain 29 is so synchronized with themovement of the transfer mechanism, that the pin 28 of the conveyormoves. into proper position to receive any tube 12 which may be on theleft pin 30, as the transfer mechanism. moves towards dismountingposition. During the latter part of the movement toward .the left of thetransfer mechanism, the stop 91 engages the uppermost one of the levers73 and during the continuance of the movement of said mechanism, saidlever is thereby caused to rotate about its pivot 74, moving the slid-e77 toward the left along the member 30 and thereby pushing the left tube12 oif said member and on to the pin 28. At the same time, the stop 93engages the left pin,90, and prevents rotation of the support 49 whenthe lever 73 is operated.

The link 56 is now drawn'toward the right, thereby releasing the lever73 from the stop projection 92 and allowing the slide 77 to be drawnback to its initial position under the influence of the spring 81.During that part of the reciprocating movement or stroke toward theright of the gear 51, said gear is rotated a half revolution in aclock-wise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, together with the support 49,whereby the tube on the right of the support is rotated into position atthe left of the support, and the empty left member 30 is rotated intoposition at the right ready to enter another tube on a mandrel 13.

This rotation continues until the gear 51 leaves the rack 69, whereu onfurther rotation ceases, due to the frictional engagement of the support49 with the shaft50, the parts being brought into the sition shown inFig. 1, and aligned as hereinbefore described,

while the right empty member 30 engages another tube. The operationdescribed is, of course, automatically repeated so long as tubes aresupplied to the mandrels.

Where the tube engaging jaws 36 or 44 are used for externally engagingthe neck or cap of a tube, the operation is substantially the same.

The jaws, however, arrive at the mounting position spread apart by therod 40 which is in its extended position. Movement of the support 49toward the tube causes the end of the tube to engage the rod 40 and topush said rod into retracted position. When said rod passes the camsurface 43, the jaws are urged toward each other by the spring 38 andare thereby clamped upon the neck or the cap of the tube, as the casemay be, whereupon the withdrawing operation into dismounting positionmay roceed, as above described, in connection wlth the tube en agingmember 30.

n the dismount'ing position, the lever 73 is operated by the stop 91 ashereinbefore described, thereby pushing the rod 40 between the tubeengaging jaws and discharging the tube on to one of the pins 28 of theconveyor chain 29.

It will be seen that ll have provided a method for preventingdeformation and injury of collapsible tubes during the enamelling of thetubes, said method consisting of automatically transferring the tubesfrom place to place during the various 0 erations thereon. It will alsobe seen that I ave provided simple and efficient mechanism fortransferring frail, collapsible tubes for the various operations thereonand that said .mechanism' may be used for transferring tubes for varioust pes of operations during the manufacture 0 said tubes. While I haveshown and described specific embodiments of my invention I do not intendto'be understood as limlting myself to the structure herein shown anddescribed since I intend to claim my. invention as broadly as may bepermitted b the state of'the prior art and the terms 9 the appendedclaims.

I claim':

1. In mechanism of the character described, a rack, a reciprocating earslidable thereon, a pair of"'9pposite1 sposed and directed tube-engagingmem ers a su port for said members, a ratchet and paw connection betweenthe support and the gear, and spring-pulled slides carried b the supportand each coacting with one o the tubeengaging members for stripping thetube therefrom.

2. In a tube transfer mechanism for advancing soft metal, collapsibletubes each having an open end thereon, a pair of spaced elongated suports each adapted to be inserted into t e open end of a tube, andarranged with their axes parallel, a pair of oppositely disposed tubeengaging members, and means for reciprocating said members, for causingone of said members to engage a tube to Withdraw the tube from onesupport therefor on one of the reciprocatory strokes of said means, todisengage and dismount a'tube from the other of said members at the endof said stroke and to mount it on the other support, and on the oppositestroke to rotate the first-mentioned member with the tube thereon intodismounting position while simultaneously rotating the other of saidmembers into tube mounting position, comprising a. rack, a reciprocatoryand oscillatory gear engaging the rack, means for'supporting saidmembers, means for operatively connecting the support to the gear torotate the support on said opposite stroke, and slidable memberspnthesupport for operating the tube-engag ng members,

3. In a tube transfer mechanism, a cylindrical revoluble mandrel adaptedto pass into the open end of a tube and to engage the inner surface of atube, a conveyor chain, a pin outstandingfrom the chain at substantiallyright angles to the direction of movement of the chain and adapted toenter the open end of the tube to support the tube, said pin beingspaced from the mandrel, means for withdrawing a tube from the mandrel,including a pair of oppositely dis osed similar devices for engaging theneck 0 the tube, a pivot for and arranged between said devices, and aslidable member for disen aging said devices from the neck of the tu e,and means for operating said withdrawing means to move saidtube-engaging devices axially of the mandrel for a predetermineddistance in a straight line path toward the pin to cause one of saiddevices to engage and withdraw a tube from the mandrel andsimultaneously to cause the other tube-engaging device to mount a tubeon the pin and to become disengaged from said tube, said operating meansrotating said tube-engaging devices about said pivot to interchange theposition thereof on the next movement of the withdrawing means andsimultaneously moving said devices toward the mandrel.

4. In vmechanism ofthe character described, a revoluble cylindricalmandrel adapted to enter the interior of a collapsible soft metal tubethrough the open end thereof and to contact with the inner surface of,and to support, the tube rotatably thereon, a member for gripping thetube near'the neck end thereof while the tube is on the mandrel,

means for reciprocating said member axially of the mandrel to withdrawthe tube from the mandrel for a predetermined distance on one of thereciprocatory strokes of the member, means for swinging said member whensaid member is reciprocated toward the mandrel by said reci rocatingmeans on the next stroke, and a s idable member for engaging the end ofthe tube to disengage the tube-engaging means from the tube and todismount the tube on the third reciprocatory stroke of said member.

v5. In atransfer mechanism for thin, soft metal, collapsible tubes openat at least one end and having a neck thereon, a pair of similartube-engaging elements,'a support for said elements pivoted at a pointbetween the .end portion of the tube engaged by said elements todisengage the tube'from said elements at the end of the withdrawalstroke of the support, one of said elements engaging a tube at thebeginning of the withdrawal stroke, while the positions of said elementsis inter-changed at the end 'of the opposite stroke to permit thedisengagement of the tube at the end of the next withdrawal stroke. 6.In a transfer mechanism for thin, soft metal, collapsible tubes open atat least one end and having a neck thereon, a revoluble mandrel forrevolubly supporting a tube, a conveyor, a tube-supporting pinprojecting from and beyond said conveyor, and'reciprocatory andoscillatory means including a pair of similar tube-engagingelements, oneof said elements axially withdrawing a tube from the mandrel on onestroke of said means while the other element simultaneously mounting thetube on said pin, means for reciprocatory and oscillatory meansinterchanging the positions of said elements on the other strokeof saidmeans toward the mandrel.

7. In mechanism of the character described, a cylindrical revolublemandrel for revolubly supporting a tube, a movable pin adapted to enterthe tube for supporting and advancing the tube after it has been removedfrom the mandrel, means for engaging a tube on the mandrel, means forreciprocating said engaging means ina straight line path for withdrawingthe tube from and axially of the mandrel on one stroke, means forrotating the engaging means to carry said engaging means from a positionadjacent the mandrel to a position adjacent the in on the o positestroke, and a member slldable axial y of the mandrel for disengaging thetube from the engaging means after said tube has been mounted on thepin.

8. In mechanism of the character described, a revoluble mandrel adaptedto'enter the open end of a tube for supporting the tube, a tubecngagingmember, means for first moving .said member axially of and away from themandrel'after it has engaged a tube thereon, for then simultaneouslyrotating said member through an angle of approxlmately 180 and formoving said member toward the I mandrel after the tube has beendisengaged from the mandrel, to arrange the tube in a diametricallyopposite position, and means support between the elements, means formoving said support axially of said elements in one direction to aposition wherein the tube is dismounted from one of said elep toscribed, reciprocatory tube-engaging andwithdrawing means slidable fromtube-receiving to tube-discharging position, means for rotating saidreciprocatory means on the return stroke thereof to reverse the positionof said reciprocatory means, and means for disengaging the tube engagedby said reciprocatory means on the third stroke thereof.

11. In, mechanism of the character described, a rack, a gear engagingsaid rack, means for reciprocating said gear along and relatively to therack, a pair of similar oppositely disposed tube-engaging elements, asupport for said elements, a pivot for the sup port, and means foroperatively connecting the support to the gear for reversing the supportdiametrically on alternate reciprocatory strokes of the gear.

12. In mechanism of the character described, a revoluble mandrel adaptedto enter the open end of a thin soft metal, collapsible tube forrevolubly supporting the tube, a reciprocating gear, a rack adapted toengage said gear, a pair of oppositely disposed'tubeengaging memberssupported by said gear, and means for operatively connecting thetube-engaging members to the gear on each alternate stroke of thegear-for inter-Chan ing the positions of said members on said a ternatestrokes.

13. In mechanism of the character described, means for advancing a tubeincluding a cylindrical revoluble mandrel insertable into the open endof the tube, a reciprocating tube-engaging member for gripping the tubenear the other end thereof and for first advancing the tube in astraight line path, means for then rotating the member on thereciprocation thereof in the opposite direction towardthe mandrel, meansfor thereafter disengaging the member from the tube on the next movementof said member in a straight line path, and a pin arranged with the axisthereof in the direction of said path for receiving the tube on thedisengagement thereof from said member.

14. In mechanism of the character described, a revoluble cylindricalmandrel insertable into the openend of a thin collapsible tube forrevolubly supporting the tube, a pin arranged with the axis thereofparallel to the mandrel and spaced from the mandrel, and means fortransferring the tube from the mandrel to the pin comprising a pair ofsimilar tube engaging elements, and means for moving said elements in astraight line path away from the mandrel and toward the pin and forinter-changing the positions of said elements while moving said elementstoward the mandrel and away from the pin.

15. In mechanism of the character de scribed, means for advancing a thincollapsible tube including a revoluble mandrel insertable into the openend of the tube, a reciprocating member adapted to receive the other endof the tube, means for movin said member to withdraw the tube from tliemandrel, means for then rotating the member through an angle ofapproximately 180, means for then again moving the member in a straightline patlfto carry the tube to a position whereinthe tube may bedismounted from said member, and means for dismounting the tube fromsaid member at the dismounting position.

16. In mechanism of the character described, reciprocatorytube-receiving and withdrawing means slidable from tube-receiving totube-discharging position, means for rotating said reciprocatory meanson the return stroke thereof to reverse the position of saidreciprocatory means, and means for dismounting the tube from saidreciprocatory means on the third stroke thereof.

WALTER PRUSSING.

